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This great photo from the Madison Daily Leader shows Officer Jason Lurz at the helm of the newest weapon in Madison's Finest's arsenal against crime: the police bike! Disc brakes, cushy seat, odometer, red and blue flashers on the way... yum!According to the feature in yesterday's MDL, Madison's easy-riding patrolmen love the new wheels:
"It's a dream to ride," said [patrolman Jason] Lurz, a patrolman in his fourth year. "It's effortless" [Amy Poppinga, "Police Fight Crime on Two Wheels," Madison Daily Leader, 2008.06.18].
After just four evenings of bike patrol, Officer Lurz and cycling colleagues Heath Abraham and Jesse Ehlers see all sorts of advantages to policing by pedal:
- More community interaction: kids see the bike and say, "That's cool!" Adults see the bike and stop and chat. ""The cruiser is like a barrier or a separation," Lurz tells the Leader. "It's nice to get out and interact with the people." I've felt the same thing on my bike: instead of being sealed behind the windows and sidewalls of your car, riding a bike lets you see and hear much more and connect with your place and the people in it.
- Health benefits: Stifle those cop–donut jokes: even if Lurz and his pals did indulge in extra pastries, they might need 'em for bike fuel. Says Lurz, "police officers can suffer health problems from sitting in a car all day... instantly going from a relaxed condition to having the adrenaline pumping can really mess with the body" [Poppinga's paraphrase].
- Stealth: The venerable Crown Vic has nothing on these guys when it comes to sneaking up on bad dudes.
- Fuel savings: Sure, the bike and cool accessories cost $1000. But a good year of parking the police car and biking instead may well pay that bill in gas savings.
That's great that the police have this. Hopefully the big guy that drives the motorcycle around puts in a few miles on the bicycle.
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